Aftermath a followup to Worlds Collide
by Cynlee
Summary: What I think happened on their return to Earth after the funeral of the fugitoid and the ending of the war between the Federation and the Triceraton Republic.


**This is my "Aftermath" Story.**

**It is based on the current cartoon series and takes place at the end of "Worlds Collide", when they come home finally from all the adventures with the triceratons, the fugitoid, and Bishop. **

**It is what I think they did that first night back from all the adventures.**

**I know that the story line has progressed in definite ways, but to me, at the time I wrote this, I pictured that Leo and Raph would want to make future plans regarding Bishop-- that Don would be hurting from the mind probe and the death of Honeycutt, and that Mike would have suffered some psychological trauma at the deliberately sadistic treatment of Bishop.**

**In my story line, eventually Leo and Raph deal with Bishop in a decidedly gruesome manner, nearly dying in the process. Someday I will post those stories. I particularly like the one where Raph and Leo are bored out of their skulls because they are still recovering and Splinter is on them 24/7 about staying in bed and such-- "mother hen mode" I have Raph call it.**

**Perhaps I will post it one day.**

**Not that it matters...**

**Oh, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles belong lock, stock, and sais to Mirage Publishing! I do not claim to own ANY characters in this particular story, though I wish with all my heart I could be the one to write Bishop's ultimate death!**

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They finally got back to the Lair.

April and Casey stayed for a little longer, and everyone thanked everyone for their help, and celebrated and such.

But Splinter saw that two of his sons would need more time-- more time to heal...

Michelangelo was his usual life of the party-- and yet, his sensei could tell that something was missing from his son.

He managed to get on Raphael's nerves, as usual, and even earned a smack in the head from Leonardo.

But it seemed to Splinter that Michelangelo was holding back.

This was nothing to his observations of Donatello.

Donatello was understandably subdued. The "death" of Professor Honeycutt was too fresh for him, for all of them.

But Donatello appears to have been emotionally the closest with this unfortunate being whose mind somehow ended up inside a robot.

His sacrifice had saved Earth from being destroyed and stopped a senseless war between two alien worlds, bringing hopefully lasting peace for those last two.

But Donatello, who had assisted the Professor to achieve his goal, carried guilt as well as grief with him.

He smiled at April and Casey, and even managed to smack Michelangelo in the head at one point-- but like his brother, his heart just did not seem to be in it.

Finally April and Casey went home, and the boys prepared a place for Leatherhead in the living area. Splinter personally cleaned and rebandaged each of his wounds, and made him drink several cups of green tea and several bowls of broth, then wished him a good night.

The guys finally went to bed, and Splinter personally tucked in each son.

"Sensei, don't you think we're a little old for this?" Raphael asked, slightly amused, though he offered no resistance.

"Humor a relieved father, my son," Splinter replied, and kissed him on the forehead and left.

"Gee, Sensei, it's kinda odd, you doing this," Michelangelo said. "Are you all right?"

"I am now, my son. You four are home safe," he replied, kissing his forehead and leaving the room.

"Sensei, you don't have to do this," Donatello smiled, though he, like Raphael, offered no resistance to the attention.

"Yes, my son, I do have to do this," Splinter replied, tucking the blanket in snugly and kissing his son as he had the others.

"Thank-you, Sensei," Leonardo sleepily said, as Splinter tucked him in and kissed his forehead.

"My pleasure, my son," he replied, though he suspected Leonardo was already asleep.

Then he retired to his own room.

He tried to meditate, but he found that his emotions were still racing from the events of the day, so he gave it up and tried going to sleep.

But Bishop kept appearing to him every time he closed his eyes.

Bishop.

How could such a being exist?

Splinter tried and tried to quiet his spirit, but just as he would feel some sort of peace approaching, Bishop appeared to drive it far from him.

Splinter sat up, and contemplated tracking this beast down via the astral plane, fighting him in a different way.

But he knew that was not the way.

He tried again, and lay down. He knew he probably wouldn't get any sleep, but he would at least try to calm his spirit and rest quietly.

This worked for a few hours. Then he heard a soft knock at his door.

"Uh, Master Splinter?" Donatello's voice faintly came through to him. "Sensei? Are you awake?"

Don was surprised at how quickly the door opened.

"Yes, my son?"

"Uh, Sensei... you see... well, um, I had this... well..."

Splinter put a hand on his son's shoulder, and guided him firmly into the room.

"Perhaps it would be best if you stayed with me tonight, my son," he said, and closed the door behind them. He got two comforters from his closet and made a bed next to his own futon. Don sat on it at once, and Splinter joined him.

"I had a vivid nightmare about the Triceraton mind probe," he said without preamble or shyness. "Only this time, you didn't hear me-- and my brain was destroyed-- like Professor Honeycutt-- and then--"

Splinter held his son close to him.

"My son, I am so proud of how you withstood this torture," he told him. "I am so proud that you called to me, so that I could help you. I am so proud of how you helped defeat both of these warring factions. I am so proud of you."

"But I let Professor Honeycutt talk me into helping him," he said, tears running down his face. "I tried to talk him out of it, but--"

"My son, everyone must choose their own path in life," Sensei said. "He chose the path that he felt would result in the most good. He saved the Earth from destruction, and ended what was a senseless war between two rivals that was costing thousands of lives. He has hopefully sewn the seeds of Peace for countless others. Do not begrudge his sacrifice, my son."

"I don't. But I just wish that it hadn't ended like this," he replied, crying.

"I know, my son. You need to grieve, and there is nothing wrong in that. You must grieve for him. Honor demands it. I would be disappointed in you if you were unable to grieve for this being. It is all right, my son. It is all right."

And he rocked him back and forth like he used to when they were all turtle tots, and let him cry out his grief, and held him as tight as he could.

Finally Don was ready to lay down and go to sleep.

"Uh, Sensei," he shyly said, "could you... could you do that thing you used to do when we were kids... when we'd had nightmares?"

So Splinter tucked the blanket around him, and placed one hand on his forehead, and gestured above him with the other.

"I banish you, evil night demons! I banish you from this room and from my son's dreams! I will protect my son's sleep from your attacks! Be gone, or feel my wrath!"

He kissed his son again, and Don happily went to sleep.

About a half-hour later, Splinter heard another knock on his door.

Michelangelo stood hesitantly outside the room and knocked softly again.

"Sensei? Sensei, I-- I--"

The door opened quickly.

"Yes, my son?"

"Sensei-- I had a nightmare, and-- well, and I was on my way to the kitchen, and--" he stumbled, then swallowed, looked down at his feet and said in a rush, "can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Come in quietly, my son, and do not disturb your brother," he guided him in as firmly as he had Donatello.

Once again he took out two comforters and made a bed for his son on the other side of his own, and Mike sat at once. Splinter joined him.

"I was dreaming about Bishop," he said without preamble-- just like Don. "I woke up the first time, and reminded myself it was just a bad dream, and that I was safe at home. I did this the second time, too. And the third time. And the fourth time. But the fifth time was too much, Sensei!"

"I understand, my son," he said, holding him as he had held Donatello. "I, too, have had trouble tonight sleeping because of that person."

"I mean, you always used to warn us that that kind of stuff could happen to us," he said, crying a little, "but it wasn't until it was happening that I really got scared. I--"

"My son, you are safe now, and that being will never touch you again... I swear it on my honor!"

"Why are people like that?"

"You might as well ask me why does the Earth spin? I cannot say why evil exists in others. All I know is, you must be the best you can be, my son. For every evil there must be good to face it and fight it."

"I will, Sensei. I just wish I could forget this whole day!"

"I know, my son, I know. I wish I could forget it as well."

And he rocked him as he had Donatello, and let him cry his fear out, and then tucked him in as he had his brother.

"You know, Sensei," he said, laughing a little, "you used to do this funny thing whenever we'd had a nightmare---"

And before Michelangelo could finish, Splinter put his hand on his forehead, and banished the dream demons from his room and his son's mind.

"Thank-you, Sensei," he gratefully smiled, as his father kissed him goodnight. And he was asleep in no time.

Splinter finally lay down, feeling calmer himself. He vaguely hoped that the other two would stay in their own rooms; he had run out of blankets.

Leo and Raph met each other outside their rooms, each headed for the other's as they'd used to when little. They smiled at each other, then played one game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Leo won, and they went back to his room.

Leo made a place for Raph to sleep next to him, and they sat on the floor, facing each other.

"I dreamed he started on me after he'd killed Mikey," Raph said plainly and unashamedly. "I dreamed that Mikey's blood was still dripping from him as he started on me."

"I dreamed I'd gotten loose, but just as I got there he'd killed Donnie before my eyes," Leo responded. "I dreamed that Donnie looked at me as he died as if I'd let him down."

"We need to take care of him. Permanently."

"Agreed. Just you and me, though-- Mikey and Don have been through too much."

"Agreed. We need to hunt him down. Without Splinter knowing."

"Agreed. Somehow we will find him."

"Agreed. And we finish it together."

"Agreed. We share it 50-50."

"Agreed. Literally."

"Agreed."

And they lay down and went to sleep.

Splinter entered the room a half-hour later, and nodded-- he had suspected that, if it came to it, one would be with the other.

He tucked them in again, and very quietly banished the dream-demons from their sleep.

Then he went back to his own room.


End file.
